Theme 3: Daily Routine

Topical Vocabulary:

wake up, get up, lie in bed, have a lie-in, get (un)dressed, put on clothes, do one’s morning exercises, make one’s bed, brush/comb hair, clean (brush) teeth, shave, have (take) a shower/a bath, put on makeup, oversleep, have a lie-in, a couch potato, leave home/work, get home/to work, a break for lunch, a snack, live alone (on one’s own), go to bed, fall asleep, air the room, prepare (cook, make) breakfast/lunch/dinner, lay/clear the table, wash the dishes/wash up, tidy up (do) the room/the flat Theme 3: Daily Routine, give the house a special clean, clean the window, sweep the floor, iron (do the ironing), do the washing (laundry), do the shopping,watch TV, go out, invite for dinner, go to the gym

a)take the bus to school / university / work b) study c) leave work d) feed the cat e) wash the dishes/do the washing-up f) go to school g) come home/get home h) iron/do the ironing i) drive to work j) feed the baby k) do the laundry/do the washing l) work m) walk the dog n) go to work o) clean the apartment/the flat Theme 3: Daily Routine/the house p) go to the store/go shopping

III. Daniel is a student and he is telling about his working day. Read, translate the story and do the tasks below.

I'm in the first year at the university, where I'm studying English. My elder sister, Betty, is studying history at the same university. Betty can organise her time wisely, whereas I do not know in what order I should do things in. I find it hard to get up on time, and usually I do not get enough sleep. I have to wind two alarm-clocks Theme 3: Daily Routine to make sure I do not oversleep.

My sister, an early riser, is awake by 7 o'clock, refreshed and full of energy. While I'm wandering round the kitchen, fighting the urge to go back to bed, my sister manages to have a quick shower, make her bed, put on make up, do her hair, eat a full breakfast and set off to the university. It takes me an hour and a half to get ready. I have a hasty bite and rush out of the house. Even if I catch a bus at once I still arrive at the university Theme 3: Daily Routine 15 minutes late, which always makes me feel guilty.

My studies keep me busy all day long. I have 14 hours of English a week. I also have lectures and seminars. At lunchtime I meet up with my sister and we have a snack at the university cafe. After classes I make myself go to the library where I spend about six hours a week reading for my seminars.

My sister and I come home tired. I always find excuses to put my homework off. Unlike me, my sister manages to do the housework and get down to homework. I Theme 3: Daily Routine like the idea of going to bed early, but quite often I have to sit up late, brushing up on my grammar and vocabulary, though I feel sleepy. My sister says that keeping late hours ruins one's health. Of course, I agree.

As my sister and I do not get any time off during the week, we try to relax on the weekends. One of my greatest pleasures is to lie in bed and read my favourite books. My sister is a sporty person. To keep herself fit, Betty goes for a run in the park; from time to time Theme 3: Daily Routine she works out in the gym.

I hate staying in, and sometimes on Saturday night my sister takes me out to a concert or a play. Sometimes we go to a party or to a disco. But more often I end up catching up on my studies and my sister goes out. I wonder how I manage to spoil my leisure time.

Every Monday when I awaken I think I should start a new life. I honestly think that I must become well-organised and correct my daily routine. I make plans to go to the Theme 3: Daily Routine gym, to do shopping with my sister, to do the cleaning and to do a hundred other good things. But then I remember that I have to call on my school friend in the evening, and I put off my plans till next Monday. It is always better to start a new life in a week.

2. Say if the following statements are true or false. If the statement is false correct it.

1) Daniel is younger than Betty.

2) Daniel and Betty are well-organised students.

3) Normally Daniel gets up on time.

4) On weekdays Betty likes to have a lie-in in the morning.

5) Daniels is refreshed and full of energy in the morning.

6) Daniel often has little time for breakfast.

7) Daniel often keeps late hours.

8) Betty is a couch potato.

9) Daniel always realizes his plans Theme 3: Daily Routine.

IV. Complete Michael’s story with appropriate words and expressions given below. Rewrite it in the Past Simple Tense.

wake up irons have a shower my face leave home

have a bath my teeth on my own go out laundry

lie in bed the dishes hair stay in feed

get up shave have breakfast a lunch break the housework

During the week I usually (1)___ at 6.30 a.m. I sometimes (2) ___ for 5-10 minutes but then I have to (3)___. Then I go to the bathroom. In summer I generally (4)___ in the morning, but in winter I often (5)___ instead. Afterwards I (6)___, wash (7)___ and Theme 3: Daily Routine brush (8)___. I wash my (9)___ two or three times a week. In the week I (10)___ at 7 o’clock. I usually eat some sandwich or cereals and drink a cup of tea or coffee with cream. As I live (11)___, I prepare my breakfast and dinner myself. I also have to (12)___ my cat twice a day. In the morning I (13)___ about 8.15 a.m. and get to work by 9 a.m. I have (14)___ from 1 o’clock to 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I leave work around 5.30 p.m. Around 7 o’clock in the evening I have dinner. On week days I usually don’t (15)___, I (16)___ and Theme 3: Daily Routine watch TV or read in the evening. I don’t bother to do (17)___ because I have a cleaner who does most of it: she does my (18)___, washes (19)___, and (20)___ my clothes.

V. Read, translate and discuss the text. Do exercises 1, 2 below.

Have you ever met a woman who never touched a broom or a floor-cloth in her life? Nearly all women but a queen have to put up with the daily routine doing all sorts of domestic work. But different women approach the problem differently.

The so-called lady-type women can afford to have a live-in help Theme 3: Daily Routine who can do the housework. She is usually an old hand at doing the cleaning and washing, beating carpets and polishing the furniture. She is like a magician who entertains you by sweeping the floor in a flash or in no time making an apple-pie with one hand. Few are those so lucky as to have such a resident magician to make them free and happy.

Efficient housewives can do anything about the house. Tidying up is not a problem for such women. An experienced housewife will not spend her afternoon ironing or starching collars; she Theme 3: Daily Routine gets everything done quickly and effortlessly. She keeps all the rooms clean and neat, dusting the furniture, scrubbing the floor, washing up and putting everything in its place. She is likely to do a thorough cleaning every fortnight. She removes stains, does the mending, knits and sews. What man doesn't dream of having such a handy and thrifty wife?

The third type of woman finds doing the everyday household chores rather a boring business. You can often hear her say that she hates doing the dishes and vacuuming. So you may find a huge pile of washing Theme 3: Daily Routine in the bathroom and the sink is probably piled high with plates. A room in a mess and a thick layer of dust everywhere will always tell you what sort of woman runs the house. What could save a flat from this kind of lazy-bones? Probably a good husband.

Finally, there are housewives who do not belong to any group. They like things in the house to look as nice as one can make them. But they never do it themselves. They'd rather save time and effort and they do not feel like peeling tons of potatoes Theme 3: Daily Routine or bleaching, and rinsing the linen. It is simply not worth doing. They persuade their husbands to buy labour-saving devices — a dish-washer, a vacuum-cleaner, a food processor or... a robot-housewife. Another way for them to avoid labour-and-time-consuming house chores is to send the washing to the laundry, to cook dinner every other day, or at least make their husbands and children help them in the home.

In the end, there exist hundreds of ways to look after the house. You are free to choose one of them. What kind of housewife would Theme 3: Daily Routine you like to be?

2. Tell how you do the work about the house using Theme 3: Daily Routine expressions from Ex. A.

VI. Look at Linda’s schedule for last Monday. Ask your partner about it.

6.45 – get up 6.55 – have a shower 7.10 – make bed 7.15 – have breakfast 7.35 – leave home 7.40 – catch a bus 7.55 – arrive at work 10.00 – meet a hotel manager to discuss business matter 12.00-12.30 – have a break for lunch 14.00 – make an appointment with a customer 14.30 – look through the brochures and leaflets